58 SEPTEMBER 2019 scca.comINSIDE SCCA SCCA FOUNDATIONFunding the SCCA Archives for the long term

WORDS & IMAGES Jeff Jacobs, Vice Chairman, SCCA Foundation

VIEW THE PAS T
Plenty awaits
preservation in the
SCCA Archives,
including race videos
(ABOVE and TOP
RIGH T). Meanwhile,
John Zuccarelli (TOP)
was entertained to
find his original road
racing application in
the SCCA Archives.

BACK AND FORWARD

Our year-long celebration of SCCA’s 75th anniversary provides us
with the opportunity to look back in
appreciation of our history, and to
also look forward with aspirations
for the next 75 years. To forever
remember the SCCA’s roots, we need
to preserve the irreplaceable proof of
this Club’s amazing past. This is one
of the goals of the SCCA Foundation
and, to that end, the Foundation’s
Board of Directors met this summer
at the International Motor Racing
Research Center (IMRRC) in Watkins
Glen, N. Y., to review the SCCA Archives
collection, to appreciate the amazing
history that has been preserved there,
and to plan for the collection’s future.

Indeed, the IMRRC staff has done
amazing work, but a lot still needs to
be done, and the SCCA Foundation
is determined to make it happen.

One of the highlights of the WatkinsGlen meeting was a guided tour ofthe SCCA Archives collection by HeadArchivist Jenny Ambrose and SCCAArchives Technicians Joe Cali andRick Hughey. The Board also metthe IMRRC’s new Executive DirectorDaniel DeRusha, who was enthusiasticabout continuing the work on theSCCA collection. The IMRRC teamalso took the Foundation Board toan off-site warehouse where sorting,cataloging, and preservation worktakes place. “Every day workinghere is like Christmas,” explainedCali. “We open a box and you justnever know what new surprise orpiece of lost history will be found.”One of those lost pieces of historyshared with the group during thetour was SCCA Foundation ChairmanJohn Zuccarelli’s original 1976road racing driver’s application,complete with a photo of a youngman with head full of black hair.

“My gosh! I just can’t believe that myoriginal application and driver recordsare all here,” said an amused Zuccarelli.part-time salaries while the work aheadcould support the time of additionalstaffing. On an even bigger scale, theResearch Center will soon be startinga capital campaign to build a newfacility since the current one is nearbursting at the seams. Truly, fundingthe SCCA Archives portion of the newfacility will be a major focus of theSCCA Foundation for several years.So, how will the SCCA Foundationhelp fund the development of theSCCA Archives at the IMRRC? Well,readers are already aware of theSCCA Foundation SweepstakesFundraiser featuring a VIP tripto the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prixand a Skip Barber racing school( winformula1trip.org). Thatsweepstakes runs until Sept. 3, with thewinners being drawn at the Tire RackSCCA Solo National ChampionshipsBanquet the following day. Part of thefunding raised from this sweepstakeswill go toward the SCCA Archives work.As an SCCA Archives-specificfundraiser, the SCCA Foundationhas also announced the “ 75 for the75th” challenge. We are asking 75SCCA members or Regions to donate$1,000 in honor of the Club’s 75thanniversary. These donations can bemade in a lump sum or pledged inincrements as small as $100 over 10months. Donors will receive a specialcommemorative 75th AnniversaryDonor’s Coin, inclusion in the “ 75for the 75th” section of the SCCAFoundation webpage, and will receiveadmission to a special reception priorto the SCCA Hall of Fame Banquet atthe 2020 SCCA National Conventionin Las Vegas. For more informationabout this special campaign,please visit the SCCA Foundationwebpage at sccafoundation.org andclick the “Fundraising” tab. Yourparticipation helps us celebratethe past and ensures a successfulfuture for the SCCA Archives.

While appreciating the treasure
trove of information about the past,
the gathered members also discussed
the pressing need to fund the future
of the SCCA Archives. Technician
Hughey displayed a collection of 8mm
videos contained in several boxes,
where the videos are in danger of
becoming too brittle to save if not
transferred to digital format soon. But
those services are not free, and the
current funding level only provides for